Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the Highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca (Valley of Weeping) they make it a place of springs…

ESV Psalm 84:4-5

THE LOVE OF HIS WORD

Gods word lifts us up, it strengthens us, comforts us, reproves, warns, teaches and guides us. It does all of this and so much more. It tells us how we are saved through his son and of our relationship to our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our King and High Priest.

The Psalms and other songs in his word, give us encouragement, direction, wisdom, and show us what praising the LORD really looks like. Praise designed by God himself placed into his perfect word by his servants, David, Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Habakkuk, Moses and many others. All revealed by his spirit and given to us so that we can praise his holy name.

Nothing hits as hard as the Word of God. No selection of songs anywhere on the planet pierces man right to his heart quite like the Psalms that God put into his word. Identifying every emotion in our being, every struggle and hardship, every question and doubt we whisper in our hearts or yell out in desperation to the LORD. Giving voice to our questions and our hurts, and replacing them with confidence in God and encouragement in him.

No other record of songs or ancient texts gives us the solution and the remedy. Nor the object of our praise and security. Our loving and perfect Father, the LORD our God.

God has connected to believers primarily through his word. This is how many believers hear from the LORD. That voice in your spirit that repeats back to you scripture that you have read. A verse that at some earlier time you heard or studied, being brought to your remembrance at just the right time, so God could speak life into you. Or indeed to others through you. Teaching us, loving us, holding us firmly and safely in his hands.

These verses have been written as Psalms for a reason. Songs help the hearer to remember and retain what they have heard. They amplify the emotional understanding of the text and what the writer or you are dealing with or offering up to the LORD in joyful praise and worship.

THE MISSION OF HIGHWAY TO ZION

Highway to Zion’s music aims to communicate the unimaginable power and glory of Almighty God and his perfect Word. His majesty and awesomeness. To stay true to every word of scripture without compromise, without error, without skipping portions of the text and presenting only what is easy to hear. Without sloppy paraphrasing or the use of unreliable translations. But to present the true word of God without adding or taking away from it. 

Have you ever listened to a song named after a psalm or a chapter of the bible, then discovered it only includes the verses that are easy to deal with? The ‘nice’ parts. Nice is not love, nice is not truth. Incomplete scripture is not complete. God gave us these Psalms as complete songs that include much more than what is pleasant and easy. They discuss what is hard, difficult, terrifying, and awesome. They are visceral and powerful. Not just a nice verse here, or a feel good verse there. Our LORD is a consuming fire and his psalms are full of his glory and wisdom.

The psalms capture the majesty and passion of the LORD, his emotion, his love, his tenderness, glory, compassion, wrath, judgement and justice, all on display. The questions we have as believers. Our failures and sorrow. The aim is to fully capture this complex array of subject matter as the LORD intended. Not isolating each from one another.

What is worse than this are songs titled and presented as psalms, yet have entire portions of text that are not even in the psalm itself. Additions to the word, then presented as the word. Not amplification of a Hebrew word, or a synonym in English (which can also destroy typologies, and biblical idioms embedded in the text), but simply adding to his word what was never there. This is not acceptable. 

TEST THE SCRIPTURE

The next psalm you listen to by an artist, listen start to finish and highlight the parts that match your Bible. The gap between what is in the Word of God and many songs is a desperate chasm, one which needs to be closed.  Worship music can be anything that glorifies God. However the title of a song should only be called a scripture if it is indeed a scripture, not added to or taken away from.

As believers we are called to put on the armour of God, to arm ourselves with the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. How much scripture do you truely know when the enemy comes to decive you, to rob you and steal the joy that the LORD has placed in you? Are you armed with a two edged sword made of tempered steel to fight the enemy off, or a thimble. Don’t bring a thimble to a sword fight.

Every single psalm should glorify God.  Glorify him in their beauty and in their scope. His word is incredible and every psalm should sound incredible. Hopefully every believer around the world will soon raise their voices to each and every one of his psalms. Psalms really are the most beautiful songs ever written.

The songs written and produced by Highway To Zion are taken from the original Hebrew scriptures, and the LXX (Septuagint) (with the exception of 5 Psalms directly based on the ESV translation). Each song relies on accurate translation tools such as the Interlinear bible, KJV, ESV and other resources. Less accurate/faithful tools, interpretations and translations are avoided, such as The Message Bible, which is not used as part of the song writing process due to it’s tendency to replace words that are seemingly not demonstrated in the Hebrew manuscripts.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The process of writing these songs as accurately in the English as possible is of the upmost importance. Believers need to know that if a song presents itself as a certain portion of scripture that they can rely on hearing the word, not stealth messaging or unfaithful translations. We have included several ways in our DISCOGRAPHY for listeners to study the text themselves. To call into question every word of every song. Don’t believe what we say, but test everything by the word of God.

Everything done by Highway To Zion is dedicated to the LORD. He is above all things, and he is worthy of honour and praise.